Credit: Imago

Cameron Smith

Sun 19 April 2026 16:00, UK

Daryl Dike finally brought his goal drought to an end on Saturday, as West Bromwich Albion secured a massive 2-0 win away at Preston.

The Baggies went into the clash at Deepdale unbeaten in seven Championship matches, though a run of three successive draws left them unable to pull away from the bottom three.

James Morrison took the job on an interim basis at the end of February and has revitalised the squad after a dismal spell under Eric Ramsay.

After falling to a 2-1 defeat against Oxford in his first match, Morrison has overseen what has been a fantastic run, with points coming against multiple promotion chasers in Southampton, Wrexham and Millwall.

With three to go, Albion welcome Watford to The Hawthorns on Tuesday as they aim to further extend the five-point gap to the drop zone.

Daryl Dike handed big opportunity after breaking duck vs Preston

American striker Dike has had a torrid time since making the move to the Black Country in 2022.

After impressing with Barnsley and Orlando City, the bagsman was tipped as the man to fire the Baggies back to the Premier League, before horrible injury woes stopped him from putting together a consistent run of form throughout his time in the Midlands.

Given multiple chances up top since Morrison’s switch to a 4-4-2 formation, Dike has looked lively, but has been unable to break a duck, stretching back to the final day of last season.

On the road against Preston, the American would finally do exactly that, as he fired home in front of 4,000 Albion fans to seal the deal after replacing fellow goalscorer Josh Maja.

With Morrison often rotating between the pair when it comes to who partners Aune Heggebo up top, the towering forward may just get the chance from the off against Watford, as Dike sees out what are likely to be his final weeks as a West Brom player.

Elsewhere, Ousmane Diakite and Alex Mowatt have excelled in the middle of the park together, while Jayson Molumby and Isaac Price have performed admirably in more unfamiliar roles out wide.

On the injury front, Jed Wallace is expected to return to the fold before the end of the term, while Mikey Johnston remains out for the rest of the term.

West Brom cannot slow down as potential points deduction looms

Saturday’s win against Preston could not have come at a better time, with the Baggies charged with an alleged PSR breach on Monday.

With this in mind, Morrison’s side were in desperate need of a sizeable haul of points in the coming weeks, after the string of three draws left them vulnerable to the drop zone with a potential points deduction looming.

Making the trip to Deepdale, Albion secured a big result against another side that have carried promotion ambitions at a point this term.

With Ed Still’s Watford coming to The Hawthorns on Tuesday, the Baggies simply cannot slow down as they push for survival.

With a deduction not ruled out, Morrison’s side will require breathing room between themselves and the bottom three, something that they currently have.

Taking on Watford, before they welcome one of the promotion favourites, Ipswich, to the Black Country for the final home match of the term, West Brom must carry the momentum and further extend their unbeaten run.